Ex-BCCI President campaigns for Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has dropped an honest opinion hyping the depth of the Indian T20 team. He also noted that India could have an alternative T20I side, including players like Shreyas Iyer, who did not make the T20 World Cup squad, and still be internationally competitive.

India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, making them the first team to have won consecutive T20 World Cups and also the first nation ever to have won it three times in the history of the competition. India is also the first host nation to have won the title on home soil.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side looked the best possible side for India, but despite that, many well-deserved players missed out on the chance to play the World Cup. One of these players is middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer.

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"I am absolutely flabbergasted about him" - Sourav Ganguly on Shreyas Iyer

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has been left baffled by the depth of the Indian T20 talent pool, as a result of which players like Shreyas Iyer have constantly been left out of the Indian T20I XI. Speaking of Iyer and other notable absentees, he said to Revsportz:

"If Bumrah remains fit, with Virat [Kohli] and Rohit [Sharma], India can make another team. The T20 team that played in the World Cup, then there is Virat, Rohit, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal who does not get a game.

"Vaibhav Suryavanshi who would play in any team in the world, Shreyas Iyer who does not get a T20 game – I am absolutely flabbergasted about him not getting a spot in white-ball cricket."

He continued: "Then Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep, who again does not get a game. So overall, I feel India could have another T20 side and still be an international team."

Sourav Ganguly marks Gautam Gambhir as a tough competitor

Though Gautam Gambhir has constantly been attacked with criticisms, especially for his failure in the longest format of the game, he is a genuine competitor and has led the team to significant success in the other two formats of the game.

"He may be rough around the edges, but he is a competitor. He does not need to be rough because he is a good man. I have seen him. I have played with him for India. He wants to win. He says the right things about his team and tries to create an environment of team over individuals," said Ganguly to Revsportz.

Shreyas Iyer's remarkable form in the IPL

Shreyas Iyer has been in some remarkable form in the IPL over the past two seasons in 2024 and 2025. He has not played for India in T20I internationals since 2023 but has never failed to impress in the IPL.

In 2024, he led the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title and was then bought for a whopping INR 26.75 crores by the Punjab Kings in 2025. Leading the Kings to their second-ever IPL final, his team finished as runners-up in the competition.

Alongside his captaincy skills, he has also amassed 950+ runs in the IPL in the last few seasons. The Indian batter would have been part of any other T20 team from any part of the world.

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